Ireland Fever
by He's No Angel
Summary: AU. St Patrick's Day! Angel of course has to celebrate.....in his own way. Heehee. Sum funnies, sum Spike, and FatherSon fluff.


**(DISCLAIMERS):_ Dont own em. Joss owns Angel, Angel owns Connor, and Connor owns...well.../shrugs/ Angel haha._**

**(A/N):_ Its kinda sad really kuz I thot this fik up 2day (Saturday) the day after St. Patriks Day and its actually just a break from my other fik thats also another break from L&F S&S which I wanted 2 finish off before getting far into Precious Destruction..._**

_**Konfusing aint it?**_

_**HAPPY LATE ST PATRICK'S DAY!**_

_**This fik is AU kuz Cordy and Fred r alive, Spike's at the Hyperion, Wes was never kikked out, and Connor is fine from his Quor-toth experience.**_

_**XXXXGREENXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Angel had been waiting for this certain day all year. It was the only time he had a full-advantage over every one of his teammates and this year, he wasnt about to let it pass him up. Much to his disappointment, he had woken up late and even worse was the fact almost everybody was out (excluding Fred, of course, who was holed up in her room again and Connor, who was sleeping blissfully unaware), but now, nightfall was setting in and one-by-one, they came back, all seemingly oblivious to the March 17th ...tradition.

He grinned almost evilly, decked out in his usual black attire but now with a lone strand of green beads looping around his neck.

There was no way he could lose.

Spike was first, strutting into the hotel like he owned the place, muttering under his breath about bitchy secretaries, no money, and the lot of the outside world daftly wearing one color on the same day.

Basically, he had no clue.

"Spike," Angel acknowledged with a knowing smirk. He stepped forward.

"This whole bleedin' state be damned, you know," Spike was saying outloud now, seeing an ear to talk to. "My tab just about tripled tonight and its not even 10pm, not to mention everybody was hammered already! And where do blokes get off on wearing that bloody color, anyways? All I see is GREEN and some prick PINCHED me as I was going to the loo! Bloody arse-bandit! Holy hell, this fucking city is mad, I tell you! Absobloodylutely INSANE!..." He trailed off from continuing, cig in mouth ready to be lit, but seeing a weird look cross over the vampire in front of him, he stopped and raised pale eyebrows. "What? What is it?"

"What do you mean?" Angel grinned, stepping even closer.

"Why are you lookin' at me like that? And dont come any closer," Spike added on, looking comically nervous.

"Spike...where's your green at?"

The smoke balanced on his lips as the other vampire gave Angel a narrowing look. "What the bloody hell are you ta-!" Spike almost freaked as he jumped back, eyes growing abnormally wide, but nothing could keep the other vampire away as he rounded on the berserking blonde.

/PINCHPINCHPINCHPINCHPINCH/

Many screams of outrage and loads of impatient explaining later, Spike had indeed joined the darkside, standing beside the grinning-from-ear-to-ear Angel as they both now eagerly anticipated the return of another.

Cordy came in next.

Actually, more like hobbled in with many shopping bags on each arm that seemed to be weighing her down, literally. "A little help here?" she asked them both, sounding annoyed.

"Cordelia, what happened?" She seemed ok, so Angel didnt worry much, but still stepped forward to help, masking his grin with his ever-familiar frown.

"Some nut tried to run me over!" Cordy complained, stepping out of her silver high-heels. "Can you believe that?"

Spike, however, ignored all words and got right down to the point. "Where's the green, deary?"

"Oh, you too?" Cordy scowled. "I dont support things like that. Besides, green's not really my color, anyways."

"Where's your pride, Cordy?" Angel raised a dark eyebrow, a smile threatening to break out.

"My pride's laying on the side of the road along with my $9 latte. Have some compassion, Angel, I couldve been killed-!"

"-Tradition now, sympathy later," he cut her off as she shut her mouth, looking shocked. "No green?"

"Would the car that almost ended my useful life being green count?"

"Did it bash into you and leave paint marks?" Spike asked.

"..."

"Doesnt count then." Angel shook his head, gave a charming grin, and leaped forward along with the other vampire.

/PINCHPINCHPINCHPINCHPINCH/

Shrieks and a promise of more paid vacations later, Cordy was also "ONE OF THEM" and ditched her heels for the delight of revenge on whoever unsuspectingly walked through the Hyperion doors.

A renowned empath came "laateedaa"ing in, belting out notes like there was no tomorrow...

Until he saw each one of their looks.

"Uhhhh bad time?"

"Green, Lorne, where's it at?" Cordy crossed her arms as the two men around her smirked.

"Are you BLIND, woman? Just LOOK at me!"

"He's got a point there," Spike drawled out as the green man nodded vigorously, already fully aware of the day.

"Thats so cheating!" Cordy looked defeated but turned to the older vampire none-the-less. "Does it even count?"

Angel looked pensive at first then smiled rather harmlessly. "...No."

/PINCHPINCHPINCHPINCHPINCH/

"Learn to WEAR green, Lorne, not BE it." Angel rubbed his hands together in front of the now larger group as Lorne moped from behind, being comforted by a sympathetic ex-cheerleader.

The dark-haired vampire faced the hotel's double doors, acting as if a tiger waiting for his prey, but Spike to his right spoke up, distracting him.

"Who's left?"

Angel turned to him. "Gunn, Wes, Fred-"

"-S-Somebody call me?"

They all looked up to the balcony as the frail lady peered down with a shy smile. "I-I thought I heard you all down here, but I wasnt sure..."

"Yeah, yeah. Hey, Fred. Come down here for a second, would you?" Angel motioned for her with a pleasant face and she all-but-squealed, skipping down the stairs cluelessly.

Cordy grinned.

Spike grinned.

Even Lorne was grinning now, caught up in the fever of pinching.

When Fred stood before them, she turned curious eyes to her "knight in shining armor."

"Are we all going out? There's some kind of commotion going on in the city...I heard it on the radio in my room!" She was bursting with excitement as they all circled around her. "I havent been out in a long time. I kind of feel like a mouse in a crevice up there...Not that Im complaining! I love my room! It reminds me of home...Can we get some ice cream? Ive been craving one since last Wednesday..."

She finally noticed something amiss and stopped babbling.

Angel tilted his head, looking cheerful, and already knew the answer he would receive. "Fred, where's your green at?"

"..."

/PINCHPINCHPINCHPINCHPINCH/

The skinny woman was stone-still as they finished, much to the group's utter disapproval, but it mattered no longer as two more future-victims entered the place, both chatting on like they were completely oblivious to the circling predators before them.

"Again, tell me why you had to take an axe to its head just as I was laying under it?" Wes was grumbling with narrowed eyes to the ex-gang member as he tried to unsuccessfully wipe out the blue goo from his hair.

"Why were you under it in the first place? Ugly he-she...uglies... your thing or something?"

"It HAD me PINNED," Wes grit out as he took off his glasses to clean them also.

"Yeah, well I saved you then, now didnt I?" Gunn trained dark eyes on the group below them, for some reason choosing to stay on the stairs as he gripped the soda bottle in his hand tightly.

Angel and Co. was giving him the heebie-jeebies now as they all grinned to themselves and stared back up at the instantly frozen duo.

"Why are they looking at us like that?" Wes questioned quietly to the black man beside him, not turning away from the five people eyeing them strangely.

"I dont know," Gunn whispered back, rigidly. "But I think we should just back up...walk away...and forget any of this happened..."

"I'll second that..."

They both backed away, Gunn moving alot faster, due to many years of running away scared from over-sized rats, but neither made it out the door as the group leaped at them suddenly.

Wesley went down first...screaming like a little girl.

/PINCHPINCHPINCHPINCHPINCH/

"No green on!" Cordy crowed out as she had at it with her slender fingers. Angel joined her, grinning broadly, but Wes had been an easy target and quickly relented, making the team instantly. All now focused on the black man standing by the door.

"Back off!" He suddenly shouted, holding up his soda.

A Mountain Dew.

Angel's eyes narrowed.

"I know what the hell day it is! And Ive been prepared! Ive been drinking this all night and to anybody thats color-blind here, its GREEN, meaning I got one-up on all you suckers! Green's even IN my body!" He then jabbed a mighty finger at each glaring person, looking almost hysterical now. "Yeah, so FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! And FUCK YOU! I win!"

After many intensive stares, he let out a big breath of air as Angel shoved his hands on his hips and growled. "Fine. But that was low and Im going to remember this, trust me-"

"Wait! I drink Mountain Dew! Its yellow!" Spike yelled out accusingly. "Only the bottle's green and he's not even wearing that!"

"Dammit, I almost had this one. Ive been getting pinched all day..." Gunn groaned, shaking his bald head.

"Get him!" Angel ordered and his team did just that, practically jumping at the guy as he cringed in fear and tried to bat away all the eager hands with his cursed soda.

/PINCHPINCHPINCHPINCHPINCH/

"Ah that was fun!" Fred clapped, face glowing.

Gunn just stared at her. "You know, youre like an evil entity trapped in a cute little body..."

"Well, thats that," Cordy sighed tiredly while looking at her watch. "St. Patrick's Day is almost over with, anyway. Only about an hour left."

"Yes, and I say we drink it up. My club would provide the best scenery. Drinks on me- No, wait. Drinks on Angelbum."

"Lets all get something green on, though, so we dont get mauled out there," Gunn shivered, already remembering.

"Wait, arent we forgetting somebody?" Fred asked, looking confused, then turned to Angel.

But the vampire was walking away, already ahead of them. They all trailed after, as he lead the way to his new office in the back, and swung open the door, signaling them to follow quietly with a flick of his wrist and a finger to his pale lips in a shushing motion as he, himself, beheld the precious sight in front of him.

His sixteen-year old son, Connor, asleep at his desk, thin arms folded under his head and dark hair splayed out over much-needed-signing paperwork.

The reason, Angel's only reason, for actually wanting to express his joy in the holidays now.

It was one of the most beautiful things in his eyes to witness and he almost cringed at the thought of disturbing it, but his boy was still new to the world and missing out on another tradition wouldnt satisfy either of them.

He treaded over softly and knelt beside his son, putting a cold hand on a small and warm back, as the others crowded in, trying to get closer to the view of the slumbering Miracle Child. Angel stopped them in their tracks though with a warning look as he started to rub circles on the lithe and breathing body before him.

"Connor?" There was a small moan as his answer but Angel merely grinned, continuing to wake up his son gently. "Son, wake up. This is important..."

"Im surprised he didnt hear us all," Gunn commented quietly. He then turned to Wes. "Especially you, with all your girly screaming and what not." Wes only glared in reply.

Angel sighed, his boy only murmuring and drowning deeper into sleep, then leaned forward, instantly knowing what would do the trick. He placed his lips softly on a smooth forehead for a ghostly kiss and, like a power switch, Connor's eyes flew open, just like all the other times Angel had a semi-hard time waking up his Miracle.

"Mmm Dad?"

"Hey," Angel grinned, tenderly pushing back dark hair as the boy tried to sit up, blinking through bleary eyes. "Time to wake up, kiddo."

"Why?" Connor yawned.

"St. Patrick's Day. I told you about it, remember?" Angel ignored all the glares from behind him.

"Don' remember," Connor slurred drowsily. "Wha'sit do?"

"Well..." Angel grinned wider, shooting a glance at the team. "Basically, its an Irish holiday where people wear an article of green to express tradition. But if they dont have something green on..." He indicated his beads, showing he was in the clear. "They get pinched. Alot."

"Pinched? Why?" Now Connor's eyes were wide open and he stood, finally noticing all the others. His stance changed and Angel ruffled his hair, trying to ease away all the alarm.

"Its just something the supporters created for all the humbugs on this day." At that, the vampire gave a leer to the now scowling group, but he quickly turned back to his son who was staring up at him curiously. "Got something green on?" He asked gently, sifting a pale hand through his Miracle's fine hair.

"..." After a moment, Connor shook his head, looking forlorn, and Angel gave a small laugh at that, creeping closer along with the rest of his now grinning friends.

"But this is America," Connor tried to argue, backing away slowly.

"Doesnt matter," Angel shook his head, still smiling softly. "Its a holiday thats celebrated world-wide."

"Im not Irish..."

"Oh yes you are," Angel counterattacked firmly as the people around him laughed. Connor continued to edge away, now more closer to the door than the others were.

But he stopped suddenly and Angel saw a hard look smolder into his kid's blue eyes, a look that was later replaced with a slight twinkle of anticipation and...

Excitement.

"You'll have to catch me first."

And Angel also stopped, crossing his arms. "Will do."

At that, Connor bolted, out the office and to the Hyperion's doors in a blink of an eye, his father and Spike close at his heels due to their own supernatural speed. Still besting the vampires, though, and taking pride in it, he shot out of the hotel and whirled around, just in time to see the group accumulate by and through the door.

Angel was nearer to him now but Spike had leaped in his frenzy to grab him.

"The sun!" Connor suddenly yelled out and pointed to the dark sky above to prove his false statement.

Spike instantly reared back with a mighty bellow, shielding his face with his jacket and eyes with one arm.

Connor just grinned, inwardly laughing, and took off at full-power towards the center of the city.

Angel, however, was rolling his eyes at the platinum blonde, shocked the other vamp had fallen for such a stupid trick. "Im appalled, Spike. I really cant believe you."

Spike: "..."

"Connor's definitely your kid," Gunn commented, standing close behind the older vampire along with the others as they all just stared at the spot the Miracle Child once stood.

"Yeah, Im so proud," Angel grinned a broad, mushy smile that quickly turned into a smirk as he folded his arms over his chest. "Now lets get him!"

_**XXXXGREENXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Jumping along the streets but not being able to weave quickly enough through the growing crowds, Connor then opted to take to the roofs, scaling expertly up the tall, dark buildings and leaping to others, feeling his vampire father still going strong from behind him.

Leaving the others in the dust, Angel followed the same route his son had chosen and hopped after, soon gaining on his kid by sheer willpower alone.

Connor was fast.

But Angel was a dad.

Just as the boy prepared to spring to the next destination, he was grabbed from behind and spun around, safe in the arms of the older man.

Not yet ready to admit defeat, though, he tried to wiggle free but Angel only laughed and brought his son closer to his undead body. Connor looked up.

Just in time to see something put over his head.

The green-beaded necklace his father once wore now rested loosely over his chest, swinging back and forth.

Connor gazed back up at his father in shock, still mentally preparing himself for the pinching, but Angel only flashed him a loving grin, tucking loose strands of thin brown behind his child's ears.

Hesitating, he gave his father a wary look before examining the necklace around him. "Am...Am I saved now?"

"Always." Angel kissed the top of his head.

"No pinching?"

"Not unless you want me to."

Connor fingered the beads, still looking down, then let loose a small smile up at his father as the vampire pulled him in for another hug, this one tighter than the rest.

"Happy St. Patrick's Day, Connor."

His son hugged him back just as fiercely and they stood that way for a while, high up on an apartment building's roof with their friends watching them from below, each displaying a warm smile (except for Spike who was too busy lighting his ciggy) at the father/son image above.

"Dad?"

"Hm?" Angel looked down at the boy still in his arms.

Connor was still absently fingering the strand of green around him. "How many other holidays are there?"

"Alot." The vampire inclined his head with a wide grin, running his hands through the boy's hair again. "But dont worry, you'll survive," he laughed.

They were silent once more, cherishing the other's company, until the Miracle Child spoke up again, innocence coating his next evil words.

"...Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's your green at now?"

"..."

"I win."

/PINCHPINCHPINCHPINCHPINCH/

_**XXXXGREENXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

**(A/N):_ Dude, Connor's evil. XO_**

_**AND SO KOOL! XD**_


End file.
